By Anthony Mowl

As a deaf person coming from a family with four generations of deaf people, I’ve never been exposed to the military aside from movies and television. I do not have an uncle who fought in Vietnam nor a grandfather who would tell me stories about Normandy. The closest my family came to fighting a war was when my deaf grandma contributed to the war effort in the 1940s by sewing parachutes and when my dad was swiftly kicked out of basic training in the 1970s when the Army administered a hearing test and discovered he was deaf (trying to fake his way into the Army). That all changed when my CODA cousin enlisted in the Army and declared that he would go to Iraq. Our entire family, although supportive, was shocked because Kevin would become the first Mowl to successfully enlist in the Army.

Kevin Mowl at graduationKevin is just a year younger than I, and we share the same love and passion for finding the joy in life. Our childhood years were spent raising hell, and if our desire to compete didn’t get us into enough trouble, it defined our very personalities. Since we had last seen each other, we’ve both grown tremendously and gone our separate paths. I graduated from college and entered the working world while Kevin chose a bolder path. Even though I cannot enlist in the Army, watching Kevin go off to basic training made me realize that I would never have the strength to do what he did, to make his sacrifice.

Over the past three years, our family has seen Kevin grow into a bona fide American soldier. We saw him through basic training and advanced training. Kevin was always obliged to answer the questions we asked every time we saw him. Our deaf family was given insight into the Armed Forces, because he gave us the opportunity to learn about a soldier’s life. Kevin became part of a Stryker unit based in Fort Lewis, Washington, initially driving Stryker tanks before becoming an infantryman. Although I always worried for his safety, I would always beam with pride whenever I showed my friends a picture of my cousin in Iraq. I also tried to spot him in CNN coverage about the war. When Kevin was deployed, I monitored the war much more closely. Despite my political views, I tried to support resources for the war as much as possible. It’s different when the resources are going directly to my cousin and saving his life.

I had always assumed he would be safe and come back with hell of a story. Kevin was supposed to return home last May, but his tour of duty was extended. As much as we were looking forward to having Kevin back then, our family had to accept that Kevin would continue to serve in Iraq as long as he was needed. It was difficult knowing that my cousin walked the very same streets where explosions occur every single day. When we received the news that Kevin was caught in the crosshairs of an explosion, the war really slammed home.

Kevin suffered massive injuries from an IED explosion, and was immediately airlifted to Germany where he was stabilized, then flown to the Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Kevin suffered broken bones in his face, jaw, arm, legs, and ankles, and severe lacerations across multiple points on his body. The most severe injury was a brain trauma that required the partial removal of his skull. Since the explosion a week ago, Kevin has remained in an induced comatose state, under heavy pain medication.

Entering the intensive care unit of the Naval Medical Center, I felt a foreboding sense of dread come over me. It was going to be the first time I was going to see my 21-year old cousin in over a year. I expected the worst. When we arrived to the open-end of Kevin’s three-walled room, I instantly recognized him because of his trademark looks and classic dimples. He had aged considerably; he was now a man. Kevin was just as I had imagined; unconscious, propped in bed, with his legs suspended by wires and his body covered in tubes. Stitches and gashes spread all over his body and bruises covered his eyes. The only sense of relief I could find was that Kevin did not appear to be in pain and although he had the assistance of a ventilator, he was breathing steadily and comfortably. Wounds that were now a week and a half old had begun to heal. A cast that covered his leg signified that it had been repaired and would heal.

The amazing service Kevin has given to his country is evident by how well the Army is taking care of his injuries. Kevin is among the best doctors in the world, if he had suffered the same injuries under the care of someone other than the United States Armed Forces, we would probably never see him again. But when you combine Kevin’s strength with the 24-hour care and attention he is receiving, I am hopeful for a full recovery. The doctors and nurses care for Kevin as much as his parents, family, and friends do. They will do everything in their power to bring Kevin back to us.

A red line marked an imaginary barrier that we could not cross. Visitors had to be content with seeing Kevin from four feet away. I could only cross the barrier and move closer to Kevin after washing my hands and wearing rubber gloves, a mask, and a hospital gown. The procedure was for my own protection, not Kevin’s, since he could have been exposed to chemicals, germs, and bacteria from the war. The hospital was not going to take the risk of letting Kevin infect his visitors. It felt absurd that he could harm me at all, but the more I thought about it, it made me realize where Kevin has been and what he has seen.

Looking at Kevin’s tanned skin, I could almost feel the heat of the Middle East sun. I wondered if a few grains from the sands of Iraq were still hiding under his fingernails. Kevin brought a lot back from Iraq, more than we will ever know. Looking at Kevin, I tried to comprehend the forces at work that brought him to Bethesda, the forces of global consequences that I will probably never fully grasp. There is only one thing I can understand, and it is the only thing that matters. Right now, Kevin is safe and resting comfortably with all the support he needs in the world.

To read updates about Kevin’s condition as he recovers, please visit:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kevinmowl

Although Anthony Mowl currently resides in Rockville, Maryland, he hails from Fishers, Indiana and is a die hard Indianapolis Colts fan. An avid lover of Scuba and Sky diving, Anthony is currently saving up $200,000 necessary to become a space tourist.

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